Monday, January 28, 2008

The future of Iraq is still uncertain, and one has to resistthe temptation to claim victory, in contrast to so many others who have beendeclaring defeat virtually from the start. One thing is almost certain though:however Iraq will turn up, the mainstream media has become one of the casualtiesof that war. As the recent study by the Sacred Heart Universityhas shown, less than 20% of Americans believe the media all or most of the time.Specifically, the study found that

"Nearly three-quarters of all Americans surveyed, 70.7%,indicated they strongly or somewhat agreed that negative media reporting damagestroop morale. Over half of all survey respondents, 59.8%, agreed (strongly orsomewhat) that negative media coverage damages prospects for success in Iraqbecause it encourages terrorists, and about half, 49.1%, agreed (strongly orsomewhat) that things are likely going better for the U.S. than the U.S. mediaportrays."

The more reflective among the media professionals mightponder on why they have become as trusted as a profession as used carsalesmen...

Much like the terrorists, they bet all on a US and Bush defeat in Saddam's old stronghold, and lost. The Democrats don't seem to be doing much better, distracted as they are with their own Civil War.